At the Edge of the Ocean By Chef Will Lew Cedar Smoked Kelp Envelopes of Braised Foraged Mushrooms, Pickled Sea Asparagus, Sake Kasu Honey Glazed Vegetables, Savory Miso Cauliflower, Beluga lentils, Black Garlic Puree, Wild Sea Buckthorn Berries, Wasabi Spruce Tip “Seafoam” “At the Edge of the Ocean” is a dish that is meant to connect the importance of the sustenance provided from our land to the vast natural resources provided by the sea. It is that area, the Intertidal zone between land and sea of the Pacific North West Coastline from which we tell our story. Being a vegetarian dish that can easily be transformed into a vegan creation, the focus is on the bounty of vegetation found on land and the rich nutrient bound algae from the sea and the deep and rich flavors that come out of both environments that are creatively integrated through the passion of cooking and ecology. Being the focus is on the intertidal zone of our BC coastline, the imagery that is portrayed from the edge of the forest leading into the intertidal zone with the Cedar smoked kelp envelopes encompassing local varieties of wild foraged forest mushrooms that are lightly infused with maple syrup, to the beluga lentils acting as the sea bed and exposed rocks of a low tide, to the use of wild berries and sea asparagus that grow within the vicinity of these habitats, and to the details of the edible “seafoam” that is a common sight in areas were the waves and tides constantly grace the shoreline, the purpose of this dish is meant to bring you into this environment, taste and savour the essence of these habitats, and to see these precious ecosystems and their restorative species such as kelp in maintaining and preserving the balance of nature. Smoked Kelp Pockets Smoked Kelp Macro Kelp- 6 Large Whole Blades (can be purchased at local specialty foods store, local kelp harvesters, online- Macro Kelp is Ocean Wise Recommended when harvested wild or when farmed) Smoked Cedar Paper Wraps- 4pcs Maple Syrup- 30 ml Butchers Twine- 1 meter Olive Oil- 2 tbsp Method: • Rehydrate Macro Kelp in cold water and squeeze out excess liquid ns excess salt • Use Smoked Cedar Paper Wraps to incorporate smoky flavor closer to time of plating • Reserve the maple syrup and olive oil until final plating Kelp Pocket Filling King Oyster Mushrooms- 150g (trim and sliced into coins around 20mm thick-need 16 coins) Fresh or Dried Wild Foraged Mushrooms (Morel, Chanterelle, Porcini, as examples)-100g (50g if dried) Salsify Root (sub Parsnip or Burdock Roots if not available)- 200g (peeled and cut into 1” batons-need 16 pcs) Mushroom and Salsify Braising Liquid Gluten Free Soy Sauce- 250 ml Mirin- 50ml Rice Wine Vinegar-50ml Water- 200 ml Sugar- 200g Maple Syrup- 80ml Ginger (Peeled and rough Chopped)- 50g Green Onions (Chopped)- 4 stocks Garlic (Crushed Cloves)-40g Kombu- 10g Method: • Combine all ingredients in a pot, simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and season to balance so that it is not overly salty or sweet. Strain and use to braise the mushrooms and root vegetables separately • Cook Mushrooms and Root Vegetables in two separate pots on a low simmer until tender, remove to cool from braising liquid. Once mushrooms and root vegetables are cooled return separately into then cooled braising liquid to retain moisture • Reserve in liquid in fridge until ready to build kelp envelopes Pickled Red Radish Red Radishes (Sliced into 10mm thick coins)- 6 radishes (need 16 coins) Pickling Liquid: Rice Wine Vinegar- 75ml Water- 50ml Whole Pepper Corns- 10 pc Garlic Cloves Crushed- 3 pcs Sugar- 60g Salt-5g (or to desired taste) Method: • Simmer all the ingredients together except for the radish coins until sugar and salt are fully dissolved • Pour the hot pickling liquid over the Red Radish Coins, let liquid cook, and then let pickle for at least 2 hours in the fridge until use. Building and Preparing the Kelp Envelopes: • Cut 5”x5” square sheets of the rehydrated Macro Kelp • Place cut Macro Kelp Sheets on a clean surface • Place 2 pcs of the Pickled Red Radish Coins in the middle of the kelp sheet, then layer on top with 2 pcs of the braised Salsify root, then add around 15 of the braised and diced Wild Foraged Mushrooms, and then finish the envelope filling with 2 pcs of the braised King Oyster Mushroom coins • Fold edges over the filling to envelope the kelp filling and form an enclosed pocket • Flip Envelope over to have the folded edges at the base of complete Kelp Envelope • Lay out the 4 pcs of smoked cedar paper wraps, rub olive oil on the top side • Cut the butchers twine into 4 equal parts • Lay out on a clean surface the butcher’s twine, lay on top of the twine the smoked cedar paper wraps, brush half a tbsp of olive oil over the top side of the cedar paper wraps • Place 2 pcs of the envelopes on each pc of Smoked Cedar Paper Wraps with the mushroom end of the enclosed kelp envelope side down on the smoked cedar paper wrap, pull ends of the cedar paper towards each other creating an enclosed “arch” with the kelp envelopes inside, and then finish by tying the butcher’s twine to hold the envelopes in place. Reserve the smoked cedar paper wrapped kelp envelopes in the fridge in an airtight container until final cooking and plating Pickled Sea Asparagus Sea Asparagus- 100g Kombu or Bull Kelp- 10g Rice Wine Vinegar- 100 ml Water- 50 ml Whole Pepper Corn- 3 g Garlic Cloves- 5 pcs Sugar-75g Salt-3g Whole Pepper Corn- 5g Method: • Combine rice wine vinegar, water, garlic, kombu/bull kelp, peppercorns, sugar, salt and bring to a light simmer until sugar and salt are dissolved. Let all ingredients steep until liquid reaches room temperature • Trim bases off sea asparagus and remove any older or tough parts, especially near the base of the plant • Once pickling liquid reaches room temperature pour over cleaned sea asparagus in a sterilized jar • Store in fridge until use Sake Kasu and Honey Glazed Vegetables Glaze: Local Sake Kazu- 150ml Honey- 75g Macro Kelp-8g Butter (Margarine if Vegan)-100g Fresh Lemon Juice- 20ml Water- 200ml Salt- to taste Method: • Simmer the Macro Kelp and the water together to infuse the kelp flavor into the water for around 10 minutes. Remove kelp after infused • Whisk the butter (or margarine) about 1 oz increments into the simmering water in a medium sized pot to create a Beurre Monte • Once the liquid is homogenous and fully incorporated whisk in the rest of the ingredients and season to taste • Once al the flavors are infused keep warm on the stove • Reserve for Glazing the vegetables Vegetables: Sea Asparagus- 40g Tokyo Turnip Halved- 6 pcs Asparagus Spears- 20pcs (use the tips as garnish, slice the rest for the vegetable mix) Watermelon Radish Peeled and cut into 10mm thick coins- 1 pc Red Radish Halved- 6 pcs (quartered) Shishito Peppers- 12 pcs Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes- 20 pcs (blanched and peeled if desired) Mushrooms- Shitake and or Foraged Wild Mushrooms- 100g Butter (or Margarine)- 50g Fresh Lemon Juice- 20ml Flaked Local Sea Salt- to taste Cooking the Vegetables Method: • Separately Blanch in salted water to preliminarily cook each vegetable separately in the simmering water until vegetables are about half cooked and until only a small amount of crunch remains with the Tokyo Turnips, Watermelon Radish, and Red Radish. Shock in an ice bath until cold, strain water, and reserve the root vegetables in the fridge until needed • When Ready to cook and plate all the vegetables take 150 ml of the Sake Kasu Honey Glaze (Beurre Monte) and bring to a medium high heat in a large pan, add in the Wild Foraged Mushrooms and Shitake Mushrooms until cooked, add the pre-blanched root vegetables, and then finish by lightly cooking the Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Shishito Peppers, fresh Asparagus, and Sea Asparagus in the glaze • Finish the vegetables by incorporating more butter (or margarine if Vegan) to the pan of vegetables. Finish the cooked vegetables in the pan with fresh lemon juice, and Flaked Local Sea Salt Savory Miso Cauliflower Puree Savory Miso Cauliflower Puree Cauliflower- 400g Coconut Milk -300ml Gluten Free Miso Paste- 2 tbsp (or to desired taste) Honey- 50g Garlic- 25g Ginger Peeled-25g Lemon- 0.5 lemon Salt- to taste Local Flaked Sea Salt- to finish Method: • Small dice the Cauliflower, Garlic, and peeled ginger • Bring all the ingredients except for the lemon juice to a boil making sure the ingredients are mostly submerged in the coconut milk and simmer until the Cauliflower is very soft. Add a touch more coconut milk if ingredients are not mostly submerged. • Place cooked cauliflower into a blender or use a hand blender and blend with half the cooking liquid until a smooth puree. Add additional cooking liquid if needed. • Strain through a fine mesh sieve • Season strained puree with salt and fresh lemon juice to desired taste. Whisk in more miso paste if a deeper fermented flavor is desired • Reserve in pot until plating Sea Buckthorn Berry Fluid Gel Wild Sea Buckthorn Berries (or any other edible Wild Berry is available)- 150g (if using pure unsweetened juice use 100ml) Lemon Juice- 1 pc Water-75g (do not add water if using pure Sea Buckthorn Berry Juice) Sugar- 90g Salt-to taste Agar - 8g (use 4g if using pure juice) Method: • Combine all the ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, and then simmer until the fresh or frozen Sea Buckthorn Berries begin to break down • Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and blend into a puree • Strain Sea Buckthorn Puree through a fine mesh strainer or sieve and return to a clean pot • If using pure Sea Buckthorn Berry Juice, minus adding water and the blending step to make a puree but strain for any clumps.